Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

Binoculars


Recommended Posts

Hello everyone - I'm another newbie and have bought a pair of  Bresser 10x50 Corvette binoculars to help me become familiar with the night sky before I get my first telescope but I have encountered an early problem: I see The Plough overhead with my naked eye but when I use my binoculars to get a close-up view I suddenly see loads of stars that weren't previously visible and The Plough has disappeared in the sense that I can no loner see the seven stars it's comprised of. 

Does anyone, please, have any tips for solving this problem?!

Thank you.

Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I only own a pair of binoculars and am relatively new to this myself, so there will be plenty of more experienced users out there to give you advice.

I have 15 x 70 binoculars (i.e. 15x magnification vs your 10x) so the problem is even more pronounced for me with a narrower field of view. My approach is to use Star Chart on my ipad (any other planetarium software on your tablet, laptop, phone will do) and then zoom in on the screen to get approximately the same field of view as i see in the bins. Then look for patterns in the stars on the screen and compare to the view in the bins. basically, like doing an enormous jigsaw puzzle!

What I would say is that I find the plough quite difficult because of its size: much better to start with Orion, Casseopia (wrong spelling!), Taurus where the constellations are smaller in the field of view and I find the star patterns more distinct.

Good Luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi both of you and wrlcome to SGL.

I think of binoculars or telescope as a bucket. The bigger the bucket, the bigger the load! So what that means is that your chosen instrument is carrying a bigger load. In this instance, photons of light. Other SGL members may or may not agree with my answer.

I hope this makes sense.

By the way, just wait till you see the Pleaides (M45) through binoculars!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, that sounds like very good advice. I'll maybe use my Kindle Fire or laptop (haven't got an iPad yet) plus my red headlight., and I will start with Orion etc.

If you managed to pick up Jupiter with your powerful binoculars did you have to use a tripod?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Using bins is the next step up from the eye. just imagine a low powered telescope and you could be looking at 30x rather than the 10x you currently have. 30x could be roughly twice the size of the moon in comparison depending on the FOV of an EP.

As suggested look at some maps to help, there are lots of online ones and a favourite for many is a free one called Stellarium you can download and use offline on a computer.

You should be able to flick from the eye and then through the bins to find a particular star. It can take some getting used to but does come with time. With the bins you will also see so much more, even the Orion Nebular, Pleiades looks wonderful in 10x50s, also when you know where to look the Andromeda Galaxy is clearly visible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

> I suddenly see loads of stars that weren't previously visible [...]

> Does anyone, please, have any tips for solving this problem?!

Yes.  Move to here in London: I can promise you that you definitely won't have this problem anymore :grin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got jupiter and its four moons without too much trouble. Andromeda too.

Only use the tripod to show things to my darling wife!

For what its worth, I think your bins are a better size and weight than mine so you made a good choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, that sounds like very good advice. I'll maybe use my Kindle Fire or laptop (haven't got an iPad yet) plus my red headlight., and I will start with Orion etc.  If you managed to pick up Jupiter with your powerful binoculars did you have to use a tripod?

If you are referring to my 20x80's, then a tripod. Maybe too heavy for my monopod and definately too heavy for my arms!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, that sounds like very good advice. I'll maybe use my Kindle Fire or laptop (haven't got an iPad yet) plus my red headlight., and I will start with Orion etc.  If you managed to pick up Jupiter with your powerful binoculars did you have to use a tripod?

If you are referring to my 20x80's, then a tripod. Maybe too heavy for my monopod and definately too heavy for my arms! (...even terrestial viewing)!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jupiter (as a disc) and the 4 moons should easily be visible with some 10x50 bins.

A tripod can be great with bins, especially if you want to refer to an atlas, do star hopping or show someone else what you are looking at. Plus it saves the arms.

I will often stick the tripod bracket on my bins if I go out with the scope and then I can use the tripod as and when I like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brown Dwarf - I am a Londoner but my partner is Welsh so it means I have to live in Cardiff!

It must be dreadful being forced to live under such skies with too many stars  :laugh:  

Perhaps we could arrange a holiday exchange for you to enjoy the more manageable 24 stars in the sky here in Walthamstow?

(which is about 16 stars more than I had in Stoke Newington)

Joking aside, I do fully understand your problem though. I got completely lost when I attended my first SGL star party - my familiar space landmarks just disappeared into the starry background. Normally I use "go-to" on a motorised telescope due to a lack of stars to guide me. On that day I was using it because there were too many!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Damn! - double posting - ignore the the 'first' of my replies. I did not mean to send that one!

Anyway, another way to look (erm... pun not intended) at bino's, apart from the objective end to check for defects, is to think of them as a large pair of eyes too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With your 10 x 50 bins you should see plenty but I appreciate the problem, it is tricky when you start in this hobby.

Stellarium has already been mentioned and is very handy as you can configure it to show the field of view that you're seeing in your bins. http://www.stellarium.org/

When looking at the Plough look at the second from the end of the handle, it's the most famous double in the sky, depending on your vision this is visible using the naked eye.

One of the best open clusters, other than M45, for viewing in  bins is M44 in cancer, a great view as it fits better in bins than a lot of telescope eyepieces because of its large size.

Have a look at the Observing with Binoculars section of the forum for loads of help and advice:- http://stargazerslounge.com/forum/80-observing-with-binoculars/

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you haven't found it by now, then have a look here on this site. The pinned thread at the top has some great links for guides and helping to find objects. It's not really a problem, it just takes practice and time to learn the night sky a bit and then you'll be surprised and delighted. Binocular observing can be just as rewarding and far more practical at times.

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am very grateful to everyone who has given advice all of which I have taken on board. I will try again with the Plough (by trying to find the double star in the handle). If that doesn't work for me, I will aim at a smaller grouping of stars (e.g. Orion) which can more easily appear in my field of view. I will also make sure I keep comparing what I observe through my bins with appropriate star maps from Stellarium and elsewhere. I will also look at the SGL forum on observing with bins. Finally, Jeremy has taught me that if I want to continue with astronomy I must not move back to London!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its worth looking at orions belt to get a feel of the field of view of your binoculars.

get them centred on the middle star in the belt and see if you can see all 3 in the field of view. If you can then you will then have a rough guide as to what area of the sky you can see through them when looking at other objects.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.